My Handsome Revenant
by happytide
Summary: Edward Cullen has become a problem in Bella's life; he's bossy, he's nosy, and oh yes! He should be dead. Bella can feel herself falling for him but what's the point in a romance that's doomed from the start? AU.
1. Day 1: Saturday: A Bubble Bath

**Disclaimer: All things Twillight belong to Stepenie Meyer.**

_**Day 1: Saturday: A Bubble Bath**_

As I lay back onto the overly-plush bed I try to force my body to relax. But its no use because my breath is still hitched in my throat and there's an undeniable tension in my body. I don't know why I feel so tense. But I'm on edge. I shudder.

I should be exhausted from the long flight plus the drive but there is no way I'm falling asleep. There is an unexplainable, gloomy charge in the air.

This place is creepy.

I have no solid reason for saying this. The Cullen Mansion is nothing out of the ordinary. Its not the type of house you would see in Scooby-Doo rerun. No Cobwebs. No Gargoyles. No coffins. Thank God. The Cullen Mansion is more like a house you'd see in Beverly Hills. Big and full of tasteful decor straight out of an IKIA catalogue. But from the moment I stepped foot threw the door I could feel it. The strange, eerie, dark energy in the air.

OK. So I know how it sounds. Dark energy? What exactly does that even mean? I honestly can't say, but this deep set feeling of dread is something I cant shake.

Esme and Carlisle were nice enough. _They _weren't creepy. Just their house. Esme was just as Renee had said she would be. Kind, sweet, and beautiful. And Renee hadn't exaggerated on Carlisle's looks. Both were beyond hospitable. They were an incredibly happy couple considering...events of the past. But what kind of people allow a 17 year old girl they hadn't seen since in diapers stay in their home for an entire summer?

Renee had warned against asking Esme and Carlisle too many questions and I would never under _any _circumstances mention _him.__Their son._

I feel the hairs rise on my arms and I can't lay down a moment longer so I jump to my feet and decide to take a long steamy bath. I go to my unpacked suit case, rifle through my things until I find my PJ's then head to the bathroom. One perk of moving in with super rich friends of your parents that you have never met; my own bathroom. I step into the spacious bathroom leaving to the bathroom door open.

Is it normal to be creeped out for no reason? If this house had an aura it would be a dingy black color. And I don't even believe in auras.

I turn the handle to the tub on full blast until the water is almost scolding hot. I glance around the bathroom until my eyes land on a bottle of bubbles. Yes. I could definitely use a bubble bath. As I squeeze nearly half the contents of the bottle into the bathtub I wonder why there's bubble bath in the guest bathroom. Did Esme put this here for me? I take a deep breath. Mmmmm! Vanilla.

I slip off my clothes and slowly edge my way into hot water. By now the entire bathroom is so steamy it's as if someone had turned on a fog machine. I grimace as I melt into the shape of the tub. The steam has done little to ease my feeling of dread.

After washing my hair I reach over and grab the sponge sitting on the edge of the tub and rub soap into it before I begin to wash myself. As I rhythmically scrub the soapy sponge against my skin my mind tracks back to Esme and Carlisle. I wonder what they are doing this time of night. Probably asleep.

It's so quiet. The only noise to be heard is the small splashing of my sponge rubbing against my skin and dipping back into the soapy water.

Out of nowhere the scary feeling in my gut deepens and its suddenly colder in the bathroom. It's was almost..chilly? I shiver as I sink deeper into the hot water until my nose is barely above the surface. Why is it suddenly so cold in this bathroom?

The steam in the bathroom is slowly dispersing until there is no fog at all. Its so odd I just sit there in the hot water. The fog on the miror above the sinks has melted away and my eyes catch my reflection as I shakily stand to my feet, letting the hot water and bubbles roll down my body and chill.

My mouth slightly hanging open and my eyes are wide. They say what my mind is thinking. What they hell? I quickly fix my expressions because I look like an idiot. I'm probably over-reacting. Its probably just a change in the air conditioning.

It's not until I step out of the tub my eyes still on my reflection that I see it.

That I see _him_.

I don't actually see his face just the shape of his body. I can see him in the mirror through the door I left open. He's standing in the guest room, _my room _right next to my open suitcase.

I don't know why I don't scream. There's a man in my room! It's as if my voice is completely gone.

Then I blink and he's gone. Like _gone_gone. Vanished. Disappeared. No longer there.

I rush into the room a spin around expecting him to pop up from behind the bed but the room is completely vacant. What? Was I seeing things now? This house was seriously messing with my head. I scratch my head and stand there a moment longer as if trying to figure out a Soduko puzzle. After a few moments I realize that I'm standing in the middle of the bedroom naked with suds dripping down my ass with my mouth agape like a fish. I come to the conclusion that I must be sleep deprived and I turned around to go back into the bathroom.

I quickly pat myself down with a thick white towel and put on my PJ's. My pulse is still slightly fast as I climb into the bed but I try my best ignore it. I resist the urge to bury my head under to soft covers to hide myself. If Jasper were here he'd joke and call me chicken shit and tell me to grow a pair. My hand hesitates as I reach for the bedside lamp. I haven't been scared of the dark since I was seven. So why are my hands shaking?

I can't stop the sudden resentment I feel towards Renee for sending me here. If it weren't for her I'd still be down in Phoenix probably sneaking out to go hang out with Jazz. Which is exactly why my mom sent me down here in the first place. She'd said I needed a new "atmosphere" and to make new friends. I spent way to much time with "that Jasper boy" according to my mother who deemed him a bad influence. I knew the true reason why Renee had shipped me off for the summer was because she worried I would end up knocked up with Jasper kid by the end of the summer. And her solution; separation. Suddenly it was great time to visit my "aunt and uncle" who hadn't seen me since I was a baby.

My mom was too judgemental to start with. When she saw Jasper all she saw was his motorcycle boots, constant black attire, and the tribbal tatoo that adorned his arm. With one glance at him she I meditatley wrote him off as a "bad boy". But if she gave him the time of day she'd see he was so much more then just his exterior. He had been my only friend through middle school and highschool. I didn't make friends easily. I'm not sure what it is about me that most people find unapealing. Maybe I'm just to awkward or wierd. Whatvever it is, Jazz has always been able to see past it.

But Renee simply didn't understand Jasper and my relationship. If she did then she wouldn't be worrying about me getting knocked up. I can't say for sure if our relationship was exactly platonic. We constantly in eachother's company and had shared a few kisses but it ended there. Just friends.

Finally my eyes grow heavy and like a chicken I leave the lamp on.

Just as I'm barely holding on to consciousness I feel strangest sensation of a hand gently brush my cheek. But by this point I'm to far gone to do anything but fall asleep.

**A/N: Short chapter, I know, but it's just to get the story started. Starts off kinda dark but I promise, it lightens chapters I write are between 3,000 to 5,000 words. Please review and let me know what I need to fix. Thanks for reading.**

**Next Chapter: Day 2: Sunday: Cookies and a Photograph**


	2. Day 2: Sunday: Cookies and a Photograph

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

**_Day 2: Sunday: Cookies and a Photograph_**

I think it's the smell of bacon that wakes me up the next morning. But when my eyes final do open it's not the sweet bacon aroma that has caught my attention.

The eerie feeling in the air from last night has completely vanished. It's as if last night was just a bad dream. A creepy, bad dream. As sunlight pours through the windows in my bedroom I smile because it's one of those rare sunny days in Forks and you just have to smile at that.

I sit up and stretch my arms up above my head, enjoying the light relaxed feeling that I had been desperately hoping for last night. In the background I can hear the sound of a lawn mower cutting grass.

I wash up then slide into a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt before heading downstairs to the kitchen.

" Good morning Bella," Esme greets from her spot in front of the stove as she flips over the sizzling bacon. She has on a cooking apron that makes her look like she stepped out of a Betty-crocker commercial.

I smile and take a seat at the bar stool in front of the counter. " Good morning."

" How did you sleep?"

" Great. The bed was very comfortable." I'm such a lier. Although the bed actually _was_ comfortable.

" That's wonderful. Are you hungry? I'm making bacon and eggs." She says as she wipes her hands against her apron.

" Starved." I smile because it's the truth.

As I dig into the breakfast plate that Esme sets in front of me I wonder how I could have ever found this house creepy. With the sun light pouring out through the windows I hardly find the shadows as intimidating as last night. I chalk it up to lack of sleep that had me so on edge last night.

"So Bella," Esme says as she leans against the counter with a hot cup of coffee held in her hands. " Do you have a boyfriend?" I know immediately Renee mentioned Jasper to Esme on the phone.

I blush like a 3rd grader. "No." I say with a mouth full of eggs. I swallow them down before I say, "Why? Did my mom say something." I don't even need to ask because I know Renee can't keep her mouth shut if her life depended on it but I'm interested in hearing what Esme will say.

Esme smiles down at me sheepishly as if she knows she's been caught. " Well she did mention a boy you spend a lot of time with." Ahah!

I shrug as I finish off my breakfast. "We're just friends."

"Ah." Esme says with a smile as she peers out the window above the sink. " Looks like Emmett's done cutting the grass. Carlisle used to do it but, well, he's not as young as he once was. Now he just sticks to trimming the hedges." She chuckles. I briefly wonder how old the couple are. I think somewhere in their mid fifties. I wonder how Esme and my mom came be best friends. I knew that before my father passed away, both my parents lived in Forks which was how they knew each other. My mom was a school teacher and my dad was the cheif of police. But this was all when I was a baby and my dad died before I could even walk. After that my mother packed her bags and moved to Phoenix. There, she met Phil and had her happily ever after.

She goes to the fridge and pulls out a pitcher of lemonade and proceeds to pour two ice cold glasses. I feel bad for this Emmett guy because the Cullens have a big ass yard.

" Thank you for breakfast, it was delicious." I say as I stand up and bring my plate and cup to the sink. I try to wash them but Esme quickly shoos me away.

" Oh no, I'll take care of that. But would you mind doing me a favor?" She puts the two glasses of lemonade on a tray. "Take this out to Emmett and Carlisle? I'm sure they're both parched."

I quickly nod, happy to do something, and take the tray from Esme's hands. I step out into the backyard and shield my eyes from the surprisingly hot sun. It almost never gets hot in Forks. I peer around the large expanse of the Cullens backyard seeing no sign of Carlisle or the Emmett guy. Again, I sympathize with Emmett and hope he used one of those lawn Mowers you ride on.

However the grass looks freshly cut, the bushes are freshly trimmed and I can hear the sound of a weed wacker coming from the front lawn. I make my way around the side of the house in search of Carlisle as grass shavings rub onto my Chucks turning them greenish.

Then I feel a tug on my pony tail and turn around to see a sweaty Carlisle with garden gloves on a and pair of hedge cutters in his left hand. "Hey Kiddo." He greets while wiping the sweat off his brow with an easy smile on his face.

I smile and offer him a glass of lemonade. "It's pretty hot today." I note as he takes the glass gratefully.

He nods as he downs the glass. " Probably one of the hottest days Forks has ever seen. You arrived just in time." He sets his empty glass onto the tray and thanks me. "Emmett's in the front yard weed wacking if your looking for him."

I nod before setting off for the front lawn. " They hedges look great by the way." I say over my shoulder. When I make it to the front yard I find Emmett.

He's a grizzly of a man and has to be at least 6'5. He looks like body builder with his thick melon arms that hold a weed wacker as he hacks away the weeds sprouting out of the shrubs in front of the house. He has these big shades on that reflect every color in the rainbow. They look like the type of sunglasses extreme fisherman wear. On his curly dark head are a pair of ear muffs and I know instantly it's going to be hard to get his attention.

"Excuse me." I call over the loud engine of the weed wacker as I cautiously approach him, not wanting to get one of my arms weed wacked right off. "EXCUSE ME!" I say louder this time. I still don't have his attention as I walk into his line of sight.

"HEYYY!" I yell.

Finally I've got his attention. Or at least the ice cold glass of lemonade has gotten his attention because that's what his really looking at.

"THAT FOR ME?" He asks over the loud engine. I nod. He cuts of the engine and pulls down his earmuffs. "This isn't that sugar free shit is it? That stuff make my ballz itch." He says and sets down the weed wacker. He swipes the glass off the tray and chugs down it's contents, a bit of lemonade spilling onto his huge chest.

I seriously doubt Splenda can be related to itchy junk unless you pour the lemonade down your pants and not your throat. He wipes his big hand across his upper lip and hands me back the empty cup, finally looking at me instead of the drink.

" You must be that Swan kid." He says, pulling off his gloves. I'm surprised they actually fit his big hands.

" Yeah. I'm Bella. Hi." I say, as I shift uncomfortably as he sizes me up.

" Well Bella, thanks for the lemonade," He says throwing a heavy arm around my shoulder. I cringe because its all sweaty and hot and I'm rubbing against his hairy arm pit. " I saw you checking me out earlier," my mouth pops open, " but your too young for me kid. Your like what? Fourteen? Fifteen? I cant help but feel kinda bad for you so here's the deal. You go refill this cup and get me a Twinky I'll give you a quick peek show." He says, wiggling his eyebrows and slowly lifting his shirt suggestively.

This guy is obviously an idiot. " How about this. I'll get you your lemonade, no Twinky, if you remove your sweaty arm. And you leave your shirt on. Deal?" I ask. "And I'm 17 not 14 smart ass." I add.

For a moment he peers at me from over his ridiculous shades, then he throws his head back and laughs all loud. " You got BALLS kid!" he barks out still laughing. I smirk and slip out from underneath his sweaty melon arm.

After I bring Emmett his lemonade and a Twinky, although I said I wouldn't, I sit on the back porch and read Wuthering Heights as he finishes off the weed wacking because there isn't much else to do. When he's finished, Esme comes out, brings us lunch and all four of us eat out on the back patio.

We all engage in polite chit chat as we eat the delicious turkey sandwiches Esme prepared for us. I notice that in front of Carlisle , Emmett doesn't say anything inappropriate but instead takes on the roll as storyteller. It must be killing him to hold back the word BALLS for such an extended amount of time. I find out Emmett is Esme's nephew and he works at the automotive shop as a mechanic. As I take a sip of my iced tea I glance at Emmet. He looks to be in his early twenties. I decide I like him. Because he's wierd like me. After all, what kind of normal person refers to their genitals within the first minute of meeting a stranger?

While Emmett tells us an elaborate story (something about a pregnant woman and a fishing trip but I honestly haven't been paying attention) my eyes are constantly shifting between the three of them. I notice similarities between them. Now that Emmett isn't wearing those goofy sunglasses I can see that he has the same pretty green eyes as Esme. In fact now I can see that Emmett is quite handsome even with the dirt smear on his for head and the grass sprouting from his curly locks. The Cullen family sport some seriously awesome genetics because I am obviously the least attractive at this table.

When I see everyone is laughing I join in although I'm not sure what I'm laughing at.

" Oh Bella," I sort of perk up at the mention of my name. I've been kind of quiet up to this point, inserting comments and hmms and ahhs when necessary. " A couple friends and I are havin a bonfire down in La Push Friday night. Your welcome to come. " Emmett says.

I'm a bit flattered that he's actually offering to hangout with me. Sort of. But then I glance over and catch Esme's eager gaze and internally groan because I know that look. It's the same look I've seen too many time in Renee's eyes. Esme is playing matchmaker and I'm betting Renee put her up to this and now Esme put Emmett up to this.

I'm feeling rejected by this discovery but I cover it up with an enthusiastic, perhaps overly enthusiastic nod. " Sure! Sounds great!" I grin and Emmett answers back with a grin of his own, completely fooled.

He apparently isn't the only one fooled because Esme claps her hands together happily and says. " Wonderful. I could drive you. This way you can make some new friends," all Renee, " and get a break from us two old bags." She chuckles motioning between her and Carlisle.

I giggle because it's such an absurd thing to say. " Trust me, I'd prefer your company over most people my age." And that's the truth. Kids my age only seem to be interested in three things; drugs, sex and parties.

" Actually Esme you don't have to worry about drivin Bella. I got it covered." Emmett says. I'm starting to feel like an 8 year old that needs a ride to ballet practice. I've been saving up for a car and have my license. I've just not actually purchased a vehicle and times like this I regret my procrastination. Although_ times like this_ don't happen often. I rarely go anywhere besides Jazz's house and school. I ride the bus to school and Jasper's house is within walking distance.

We all say goodbye to Emmett and he and I quickly exchange numbers. No doubt Esme's idea but he says it's so he can let me know when he's on his way to pick me up. Yeah right.

After Emmett's gone, Esme and I wash the dishes while Carlisle goes upstairs to shower.

" Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" Esme asks as she rinses a plate.

I shake my head. " No why?"

" Well I was just thinking you may want to go shopping tomorrow. You probably don't have many clothes made for Forks weather."

I nod. " Sure. I really need to get some pants. All I have are shorts." I admit.

She smiles, pleased with tomorrow's plans and we finish off the rest of the dishes while making small talk. The rest of the day is spent quietly indoors. Carlisle is called to work and Esme and I decided to bake cookies.

" What kind of cookies would you like to bake." Esme asks as she pulls out flour from the pantry.

" Chocolate Chip." I say immediately.

Esme smiles faintly at me. " Those were always my son's favorite."

I shift uncomfortably because we've reached that topic of _which shall never be mentioned _according to Renee. And I can see ,for the moment, that Esme has gotten lost in thought. " Do we need eggs?" I ask as I edge towards the fridge.

" Oh, yes three." Esme says, snapping out of her thoughts. I wonder how often this happens. I wonder how often she gets caught in sad thoughts of _him. _I really hope not often because someone as kind and sweet as Esme deserves happy thoughts.

And just like that our easy conversation starts up again and I'm proud that I was able to deflect the dark topic of Esme and Carlisle's deceased son.

Apparently Esme was a wonderful baker. Esme worked magic in the kitchen, adding memorized, mysterious ingredients with nimble fingers. The cookies turn out mind-numbingly delicious.

Towards the end of the afternoon I get a call from Renee. She babbles on about the promotion Phil received and how things are going great back at home. I should be happy for them but I'm a brat and can't get over the fact that they shipped me away like a piece of luggage. She let's me know she finally made herself an email and her address is SexyMamaATyahoodotcom(_I_ don't know who thought of this address) this way we can keep in touch easier.

As the evening begins to set in and the sun falls, that creepy charge in the air slowly falls back in place. I'm bitterly disappointed because I've convinced my self that last night was just a product of lack of sleep and my over active imagination. Suddenly every shadow looks a bit more threatening and I'm afraid to walk down the dark corridor to my room.

I'm sitting alone at the fireplace attempting to read my worn copy of Wuthering Heights but I can't concentrate because every little sound is making me jump. I finally give up and set my book on the coffee table.

Before heading upstairs to my room I snag a few cookies from the kitchen because they are just so good. I make a mad dash for my bedroom and try to ignore that every other shadow is shaped like a monster in my mind. I trip over my luggage bag as I throw my self on the bed and burrow underneath the covers. It's not like the covers have any protective powers but I still feel safe under them. Underneath the covers I devour the cookies that I raided from the kitchen.

This is just pathetic. I'm not in 2nd grade, I'm 17 years old and shouldn't be acting like this. What would Jasper say?

With a new found dignity I raise my head from the blankets and survey the room. See! Nothing out of the ordinary. It's just a normal bedroom. A bedside table, a dresser, a closet, a small flat screen tv hanging on the wall opposite the bed and the door that leads to the bath and-OMYGOD WHATS THAT? I jump about ten feet in the air before I realize it's just a towel on the floor. I grind my teeth together at me stupidity and decide I need to do something to keep me busy.

I bravely crawl out of the safety of the bed to go and unpack my suitcase. While I'm throwing my clothes in the dresser in an unorganized fashion I look out the window to see it's completely dark outside. This only creeps me out further. When I'm finished I drag my empty suit case to the closet. After that I make the bed then hang up the towel that gave me such a fright earlier. Just when I'm out of things to do my phone starts ringing and I'm beyond relieved.

I reach on the dresser and grab my phone to check the caller I.D. The screen is lit up with a picture of Jasper with a coke bottle to his mouth as he regards the screen warily. It's one of the few pictures I've ever managed to take of him. JAZZY BOY CALLING the screen reads.

" Hey Jazz." I greet, after putting the phone to my ear.

" Hey Bells. How're things up there?" Jasper greets with his slight southern drawl. I'm suddenly much calmer then I was before and for the moment Jasper's familiar voice has lifted the dark feeling in the air. Jasper has the ability to control my emotions like that. I feel slightly guilty that I haven't texted him or called him since I arrived but I know he wont think much of it because he's just so easy going.

" Every thing's fine up here. Esme and Carlisle are great. I even made a new friend!" I exclaim and I here Jasper chuckle on the other end. " But I'm more worried about you Jazz. What are you gonna do all summer without me?" I ask because just as Jasper is the only friend of mine, I'm the only friend of his. And without me there with him in Phoenex I'm worried he will get into trouble. And I don't like the thought of him spending the summer couped up in his house with those terrible parents of his.

Jasper's mother was bit of a druggy , and definitely not the type of person that should be a _parent_ to _anybody_. Jasper's father was a mechanic but also an alcoholic. I hated Jasper's father so much when I thought of the the bruises Jasper had hid on his body in middle schoolbut I always eventually found them. When Jasper made it to high school his father no longer treated him like a punching bag though. This was no doubt due to the fact that Jasper had grown 2 feet and was likely to hit back.

" Actually that's what I was calling about," on the other end I hear Jasper shutting a door. I imagine he's gone to his room for privacy and is about to tell me something that he doesn't want his parents to hear. " I cant imagine what it would be like to spend this summer without you," to anyone else this would have sounded incredibly romantic but this was Jazz and _I_ know what he meant. " And you know how my parent's are," he need not say more on that topic, " And I've been saving my money up for a while now."

My eyes light up as I realize where he's going with this. " Ohmygod Jazz are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I squeal on the phone as I flop back on the bed.

" Already bought the ticket."

I gasp. " No way! Ohmygod! What day?"

" Next friday."

" Sweet! But wait! Where will you stay when you get here?" I ask as I roll over in the mattress and pick at the blanket.

I hear a quietness on the other end of the phone and I can't help but laugh. He obviously didn't think this too far through. " It's ok. We'll think of something." I wonder if Esme and Carlisle will let him stay here.

From out in the hallway I hear the sound of a door being opened and closed and I let loose a small but terrified squeak as my heart jumps through my throat. Then I realize it must be Carlisle coming home from the hospital.

" Bella? Are you ok?" I hear Jasper ask in my ear, sounding worried.

I nod even though he can't see me. " Yeah, yeah. I'm fine Jazz, just thought I heard something is all." I say quickly. For a moment I think about telling Jasper how creepy this place is at night and how scared I get but then figure I don't need to worry him with my chickenshitness.

" Ok. Well, sorry but I have to go and help my dad outside. Talk to you later darlin."

" Bye," I mumble and the line goes dead.

And just like that, the eerie feeling returns and I desperatly want to call Jasper back to make it go away. I sigh as I slide off the bed and grab my purse from off the dresser. I shuffle through it until I find what I'm looking for. Sleeping pills. Normally this isn't a habit of mine but when push comes to shove...

I go to the bathroom, and tip my head under the faucet and swallow the small pills. I walk back into my room and kick off my shoes and socks before flopping back onto the bed. I play on my phone until I feel the effects of the pills kick in then I shimmy out my shorts and throw them on the ground before letting the exhaustion take me.

XX

"_ Bella._"

The smooth voice of a man drags me from my slumber.

" Wuh? Jazz?" I mumble in my groggy state. No. That's not Jasper's voice. The voice is too smooth and eerie.

"_Bella._"

Damn it's cold!

I slowly open my eyelids. Did I just here a voice call my name? I slowly sit up becoming more alert. It's still night time. I grab my phone and check the time. It's twelve freckin o'clock. You've got to be kidding me. Those cheap, god damn sleeping pills aren't worth shit!

" _Bella._" The voice repeats.

Oh shit! Ohmyeffingod! I'm hearing voices now? What do I do?

" _Bella_."

I let out small yelp as I curl up under the covers. Is there someone in this room? I slowly pull the covers away from my face and use my phone's screen as a flashlight. I didn't see anything. I shiver, astounded by how chilly it is in this room.

" Who's there?" I whisper as I sit up in the bed.

" _Follow my voice Bella._" The man whispers back. It sounds like he's coming from the hall. I scurry to the side of the bed to snatch up my pants from the floor then I quickly pull them on.

" Who are you?" I whisper into the darkness. I'm either going crazy and indulging the voice in my head or..well I'm not sure the other possibilities. Point blank, I think I'm going crazy.

" _Come to me_." Wow the voice in my head is very creepy.

" Hell no!" I snap before I can stop myself.

" _Bella_." I cringe at the whispery sound of the voice and bury my head once again underneath the blankets.

" _Bella._" I squeeze my eyes shut.

" _Bella!_" The voice is really starting to sound annoyed.

"WHAT!" I hiss. I really just want to go to sleep and wake up to day light when things aren't so scary and dark.

" _Follow my voice_." This again.

" If I _follow your voice _will you leave me alone and let me go to sleep?" I bargain with the psycho voice in my head.

There is a pause. Oh, now he wants to be quiet. Then I hear a whispery, " _Yes_."

I fling my legs over the side of the bed and bring my phone with me as a flashlight. Is it crazy that I'm following a creepy voice in the middle of the night? Yes. But I'm sure said voice will torment me all night until his will is done.

" _Go up the stairs._" The voice calls from the third story. I've never been up there before but I'm pretty sure this is wear Carlisle and Esme's bed is.

I trail up wary of what I will find. What if I bump into Esme or Carlisle._ You could tell them the truth. There is a man in your head that wont let you sleep until you do as he says. _I snort at the very thought.

Up here the voice stronger.

" _Bella_." His voice echos off the shadowed walls. I tread through darkness with my phone held in my hand in a death grip as I follow the voice that's growing in volume.

Then I'm at the end of the hallway and I stop because it's a dead end.

" _You've found me Bella_."

What? I haven't found anything. I raise my flashlight/phone and scope out the area around me. There's no one here. But what did I expect from a voice in my head? Shit, I'm going crazy. Just as I'm about to turn around and stalk back to the room, my light flashes off of the frame of a picture.

I step closer for a better look of the picture and gasp.

The photograph looks like the kind taken in a studeo exept this one is kind of old. Not _old_ old. 90's old. That's not what has my attention though.

It's the face that's looking back at the camera.

The man in the picture is easily the most handsome/beautiful person I've ever seen. He looks to be in his late teens or early twenties. My eyes drop from the emerald eyes down to the soft, full lips, up to the messy bronze locks atop the perfectly symmetrical head and then down again. His tanned skin is completely unblemished and his lips! They are so pink! I wonder how someone could ever be so beautiful. Who is this man?

The face is so familiar and so is the happy grin on his lips but I can't quite but my finger on it.

It's not till Carlisle's identical grin and Esme's pretty green eyes flash through my mind that I gasp once again. Because I immediatley know who this is. I can't believe I didn't figure it out earlier.

It's Esme and Carlisle's son. Edward Cullen.

I take a quick step away from it not sure if this picture was ever meant for my eyes.

Suddenly I notice something.

The voice in my head has completely vacated. But I know that I'm not crazy and it's not just some voice in my head.

" Who are you?" I whisper in the darkness hoping for an answer from the voice. He's fulfilling his part of the bargain and leaving me alone.

But I don't need him to answer because deep in my gut I know exactly who the voice belongs to.

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please leave me a review so I'll know what needs fixing. **

**Warning: If you don't review you WILL be pestered by the ghost of Edward Cullen tonight. :)**

**Next Chapter: Day 3: Foggy Mirrors and Palm Readers**


	3. Day 3:Foggy Mirrors and Palm Readers

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

**Day 3: Monday: Foggy Mirrors and Palm Readers**

When I wake up it's pouring buckets outside. So much for sunshine. Yet I'm still relieved that the creepy charge in the air is lifted. At this point it's pretty obvious this place is only scary at _night_.

I don't immediately remember last night. Instead I groggily drag myself from bed and stumble to the bathroom to take a wizz. It's not until I'm brushing my teeth that flashes of the events from the previous night float through my head. The man's voice. The picture. It was their son!

The tooth brush falls from my hand and clatters into the sink.

_Is what I'm thinking possible? Could Edward Cullen possibly be the owner of the voice in my head? _Then I think about Saturday night, the night I arrived. I'd seen a man! In my bedroom! Could that have possibly been the...ghost...of Edward Cullen?

Could Edward Cullen be trying to communicate with me from the dead?

I look at myself in the mirror. My hair is in a COMPLETE disarray and my mouth is smeared with Colgate toothpaste. Under any other circumstances I might find my appearance humorous but right now I'm too distracted. I rinse my face and tooth brush off and decide I need a shower to clear my mind.

I'm just about to peel off my shirt when I think twice.

What if he's watching me now? The perv!

Then I realize I'm being ridiculous. In my entire life I've NEVER been superstitious. I shrug out of my clothes and step into the shower.

Because I'm a logical person I take the logical approach. I try explaining each incident so far logicaly. Q: Who was that man in my bedroom? A: Could have been Carlisle checking up on me or it was my imagination. Q: Why is this place so damn creepy at night? A: Because I have anxiety issues and I miss Jazz. And it's my imagination. Q: Why does it get randomly chilly? A: Weird Air Conditioner. Or my imagination. Q: Where did that voice come from last night? A:... my imagination?

Crap.

So here is the deal. I can either except that I am a crazy psycho with an amazing imagination OR I can start believing in ghosts. Both have reasonable amounts of crazy in them.

Just as I turn off the shower head a shadow passes over the shower curtain as though SOMEONE was casually walking past.

" Ahhck!" I yelp as I slip in the shower landing on my butt. " Shit!" I curse under my breath as I crawl to my feet and hesitantly lift my hand to the shower curtain.

I poke my dripping wet head out the curtain.

No one is there. I exhale in exasperation and climb out of the shower and swipe a towel to cover myself. Because even if I can't _see _SOMEONE it doesn't mean SOMEONE isn't there. And if SOMEONE _i__s_ there then they just got a free peek show.

I secure the towel under my armpits before stepping up to the mirror and wiping away some fog so that I can see my reflection. My cheeks are flushed from the hot shower and I have a slightly crazed look on my face. I glance around the bathroom suspiciously.

I wonder what will happen if I try to communicate with _him_.

Wait, did I just accept the fact that Edward Cullen's ghost does in fact exist? Sigh. Yes I did.

I hope I'm not making a mistake as I lift one finger up to a part of the mirror that is still foggy and write the words:

ARE YOU IN HERE

Pull my hand back shocked at myself for being so brave. What will I do next? Go buy a wee gee board? I stare at the mirror for long moment but I receive no reply. My surprise at the lack of reply just proves further that I am now a believer in ghosts.

Then, right before my eyes, a word is formed onto the foggy mirror.

**_yes_**

I simultaneously almost shit my pants and scream. I glance around me. The word **_yes_** is written right below my words which would mean he would have to be standing right about- Oh shit! He's standing right next to me!

I gasp and back into a corner, all wide eyed. I glance at the door which isn't too far away. I consider my chances of making it out of here alive. The wet words on the mirror just make the situation so much more real. It wasn't my plan to have a freckin Seance!

Then again I'm amazed as words are formed onto the foggy mirror.

**_please don't be afraid. i wont hurt you_**

He doesn't want me to be afraid of him? Why? I close my eyes and try to calm my rapid heart beat. _Calm down. He's not going to hurt. He just wants to talk._

I open my eyes. Is he looking at me right now?

"Can you here me?" I ask out loud, my voice cracking.

A word takes shape one the mirror.

**_yes_**

I gasp, then blush as I pull the towel tighter to me. He can no doubt see me also.

"Who are you?" I ask. I already know though but part of me wants the words "Casper the FRIENDLY Ghost" to appear on the mirror.

_**you already know**_

I stare blankly at the words for a moment. I cant believe this. I'm communicating with a freaking ghosts. "So it was you last night, and the day before," I say faintly. Then I add even more quietly. " Edward."

The heat from my shower is all but gone and the fog on the mirror is almost completely dispersed but it's not too late me to see one word on the mirror before the fog has completely evaporated.

_**yes**_

What does he want with me? Why is he still here. Don't ghosts linger when they have unfinished business?

I am oddly not as freaked out as I thought I would be or as I should be. Instead I have so many more questions that need answering.

I leave the bathroom to change. I pull a pair of shorts and a sleeveless shirt and underwear from my dresser but then my hands hesitate on the towel. Because I really have no clue what kind of person Edward is.

"Please don't look." I say out loud, just in case he's a perv like Jasper, then I drop the towel and scramble into my clothes. I brush my damp hair back into a pony tail.

I shove my feet into my Chucks, even though I really want to wear flip flops, and with one final glance around the room, I leave the for the kitchen.

"Morning Esme." I great, as though I didn't just have a Seance with her deceased son in the bathroom less then a minute ago.

Esme says good morning back and I enjoy a nice bowl of Lucky Charms before I rinse my bowl off in the sink. The entire time my eyes dart around in a paranoid fashion, half expecting a sign of Edward's presence.

Since Carlisle has already left for work it's just us two (or should I say us three). After Esme goes upstairs to change I slug around the house doing nothing productive. When she comes downstairs we leave the house and set off in her BMW to the Forks mall.

The ride is relatively short and we arrive at the mall within ten minutes. Forks mall is nothing compared to the shopping centers in Phoenix but we manage to find me five pairs of jeans, a few sweaters and jackets, and rain boots. Yep I'm fully prepared to take on Forks weather now. Much to my chagrin Esme insists on paying for everything because she is technically my "guardian/parent for the summer and it was her job to take care of me". Her words, not mine.

As we exit the shoe store my eyes catch on to a small store at the end of the mall strip. Above the store a sign reads " The Third Eye," in elegant letters. From here it looks like the inside has some type of gypsy slash bohemian theme going on.

" That's the The Third Eye. It's some kind of fortuneteller or palm reading shop but I've never actually been inside," Esme explains, noticing where my attention had gone.

Through a window of the shop I notice a girl about my age moving around. She looks a lot like small pixie with her inky black hair shooting up cutely. I expect her to be dressed like a gypsy with turban on her head but instead she is wearing extremely fashionable clothes. She looks slightly out of place.

" From what I hear, they're going out of business," Esme adds sadly.

At that moment the little pixie girl catches me staring through the window and her mouth splits into a big grin and she waves at me through the window as if I'm her best friend.

I dont have the heart to not wave back because she just looks so sweet.

After we finish our shopping we drive to Jason's Deli to grab a bite to eat. After spending so much time with Esme I find out that she is an extremely easy person to hang out with. She's never awkward, doesn't talk too much, or too little, and knows how make a person feel comfortable. She's seems like she would make a great mom. Or _made_ a great mom.

When we make it back to the house it's around 4:00. I thank Esme for everything then head straight for my bedroom and dump off all my shopping bags. I kick off my shoes and collapse on my bed, deciding I'll put away my newly purchased clothes at a later time. I'm feeling exhausted from lack of sleep.

As I snuggle my head deeply in a pillow I feel the other side of the bed dip down. As if someone else has climbed onto the bed to join me. My eyes pop open. Wtf? I turn around, but there is no one there. However I can see the vague indention in the comforter as if someone invisible were lying on the bed. I gasp.

"Edward?" I whisper.

Silence. I guess I didn't really expect a response. I lay my head on the pillow beside the indention in wonderment. Hesitantly I run my fingers along the indention. To my shock the dent shifts slightly then settles back. I pull my hand back.

Last night I had stumbled back to my room in a daze after seeing Edwards picture. After that I'd found it very hard to sleep and spent half the night awake.

Now I can feel the effects of a bad night's sleep weighing on my eyelids. My eyes droop and I'm falling asleep next to my new invisible ghost friend.

XX

When I wake up, its night time outside and that creepy feeling is back. I've come to the conclusion that the dark charge in the air is controlled by day and night.

I sit up and rub my eyes sleepily and stretch. Now that I'm nice and rested I have a feeling that tonight's going to be another long one. I notice that the dent in the bed is gone and wonder where Edward has gone. I change out of my clothes and slip into a comfy pair of sweats and a spaghetti strap shirt. I'm hungry and I'm hoping that if I eat a lot then it will make me sleepy and I really don't like being awake during the night at this house.

I go downstairs to the kitchen and pig out.

I eat a few cookies, left over lasagna, an apple, yogurt, two Twinkies, and a large mug of steaming tea. I stand in the kitchen a moment, dusting some crumbs off my lips, and waiting for the sleepiness to come. No dice. The only thing I feel is my stomach poking out from my body.

I groan and tromp up the stairs and collapse once again on top my bed. I check my phone and see that I have an email from Renee and a text from Jasper. How sad. There are only two people in my entire life that ever contact me. I quickly reply to Renee's email then I read Jasper's text.

**night belly. love ya **I cringe because we both know I hate the nickname Belly. It sounds like something you'd name a pet pig.

Again I feel like a bad friend for never texting or calling him. I make it my personal oath from now on to either text or call Jasper everynight.

**Goodnight Jazzy Boy! **

He hates the name Jazzy just as much as I hate Belly.

With nothing else left to do grab the remote and turn on the TV. I flip threw the channels until I settle on a lifetime movie called "The Client List" .

Two lifetime movies later I'm still not tired so I give in to temptation and go to the bathroom in search of those god damn sleeping pills. I snag them out of the medicine cabinet and read the back of the little capsule. It says I should take two but these cheap things aren't worth shit so I figure I can get away with taking four.

I dump four into my hand and prepare to tip them back into my mouth but then suddenly the strangest thing happens. Something cold and firm encloses my wrist and wrenches it towards the sink, spilling all pillls down the drain. I stare at my arm in shock.

"_What do you think your doing?_" Eward's angry voice hisses in my ear. My eyes widen as they circle the bathroom.

I gasp. "Where are you? Why can't I see you?" I subconsciously trail my fingers over my wrists. Did he just..touch me? He could touch me? He was a ghost!

"_Are you trying to get yourself killed? What were you thinking? Four pills_!" He continues as if uninterrupted.

"They were low dose!" I defend myself. Oh! My first ever argument with a ghosts!

"_That's extremely careless of you," _he snaps.

My fingers are still touching my wrists. "Did you just touch me?" I whisper, my eyes going back to my wrist as if hoping to see fingerprints.

He doesn't reply.

"You touched me! How did you do it? Your a ghost! I bet, if you wanted to, you could let me see you, too. I saw you my first night here-"

I gasp as I see the capsule of sleeping pills levitate of the counter as if the were being held by an invisible string. They float to the door, I gasp again as the door is flung open and they float into the bedroom and over to the closed window.

"What are doing?" I run up to the window just as it's being unlatched. I watch in shock as the sleeping pills are thrown out the window and it's latched back up again. Wow, really? That was beyond uncalled for.

"I hope your happy. Now I'm never going to get any sleep." I say in a whiny voice and fling myself onto my bed like a brat. I watch in mild fascination as the edge dips down and he takes a seat.

"_You don't need to sleep if your not tired,_" he says quietly.

I roll onto my side and stare at the indentation in the comforter. It's so weird to look at. I feel like I should film all this then post it on you tube. My hand reaches a runs over the dent in the bed.

"Why can't I touch you." I ask.

"_Because I don't want you to_." Oh, burn.

"So you can control that?"

"_Yes_."

I think over that piece of information. How does that work? "Can you control if I see you or not?"

_"During the night. Yes_." So he _can _let me see him, he just _won't_. But why only at night? Is he weak during the day?

"Then let me see you."

"_No_," he says simply.

"Why not?"

"_Your not ready to see me_," he whispers. What did _that_ mean?

I suddenly wondered if when you die your ghost body looks the same way your real body did the moment you died. What if Edward was all covered in blood and all gory when he died. Then I suddenly ask something I shouldn't because I'm an idiot.

"How did you die?" I blurt. I'm so stupid and insensitive! There should be a rule about this; never ask a ghost how he/she died.

No response. I hold my breath hoping I'll catch a sound.

"Edward?" I whisper. "I'm sorry! Don't answer that question."

"Edward?"

It's still supremely quiet. My eyes fall onto the comforter and I can see there is no longer an indention.

Edward is gone.

**A/N: Next chapter I promise that we will finally meet Edward (face to face). Thanks for reading so far and please leave me a review so that I know what needs fixing.**

**Next Chapter: Day 7: Friday: A Bonfire and the Red Truck**

**Reviews are better then watching Bella pig out :)**


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